“The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” is sung by the company at the beginning of the musical “Sweeney Todd”. As the opening piece, this song has the responsibility to set the tone for the entirety of the performance, which is dark, sarcastic, and humorous. The production is about a barber named Sweeney Todd who seeks to avenge his wife, whom he believes to be dead, by killing the man who doomed her. Naturally, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” is thus extremely foreboding. The Marist theater performed “Sweeney Todd” in January of 2009, and by far the most memorable song for me was this, the opener. The entire cast came out and stared, zombielike, at the audience, as they sang of the dark tale ahead. The overall feeling was exceedingly creepy, especially as the song neared the end. The section in the middle, in which the cast repeats “Sweeney was smooth, Sweeney was subtle, Sweeney would blink and rats would scuttle,” build up enormous tension which is magnified by the crescendo into the repeated wails of “Sweeney.” At this point, the company has made it exceptionally clear that Sweeney Todd is one to be feared. After this chilling climax, the leading man himself steps forward to deliver some of the final lines before the completion of the song. He sings of himself in third person, which only adds to the unsettling tone prevalent throughout the piece. The song then ends eerily, the cast coming in again in full, singing almost at a whisper for the final phrase, which includes an uncomfortable pause before the last word. At its completion, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” has accomplished its role of bringing the audience into the world of the play: in this case, a dark, ominous world of revenge, murder, and a tale of lost love.
“Green Finch and Linnet Bird” is sung by Johanna, a woman trapped in a tower by her master. In contrast to “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”, this song is one of hope and of wide-eyed curiosity. The scene involves Johanna looking out her tower window at a cage of birds who, despite their being trapped, continue to sing. She feels a connection with the birds, as she too is trapped against her will. She expresses her perceived kinship by singing back to the birds, asking them why they choose to sing. She, too, wants to learn to “sing” in her confinement, and looks to the birds as mentors or teachers. Interestingly, the sound of “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” is rather similar to the tweeting of a songbird. This is further exemplified by the song’s highest note, a D6, which is in the third space above the staff of the Treble Clef. Not only is this note exceptionally difficult to hit even for a first soprano, but it connects the song with the high-pitched whistling of the birds.
Overall, “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” is a song of innocence and purity, both of which are qualities that Johanna possesses. Its contrast with the dark tone of the play mirrors her contrast to the characters around her. She seems to be the only one in the production who has maintained her youthful wholesomeness. In addition, her song is one of longing. She desperately wishes to escape her tower, as she has not been allowed to leave, due to her master’s extreme possessiveness. She envies the birds’ ability to fly, and is puzzled by their willingness to remain seemingly cheery when that ability is taken from them. She wants to learn to sing, not literally, but to appreciate life despite her confinement. The song’s brighter, more positive qualities really make it stand out in the otherwise ominous play.
March 30, 2012: West Side Story
Maria
(spoken)
Maria . . .
(sings)
The most beautiful sound I ever heard:
Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria . . .
All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word . .
“Maria” is arguably one of the most well-known songs from the musical West Side Story. The context: Tony and Maria have just met, and it appears that they have immediately fallen in love, despite their opposing backgrounds. This ballad is sung by Tony, who seems to be so enamored with this girl he has just met that even her name is beautiful to him. It begins with the word “Maria” being spoken, before the actor transitions into his song. Repetition of that name is used quite obviously throughout the lyrics, as to emphasize the subject of Tony’s infatuation. It appears to the audience that he simply cannot say (or rather, sing) her name too many times, because it is “the most beautiful sound [he has] ever heard.” The song starts off soft, but its volume increases rapidly as Tony is caught up in the utter magnificence of this girl he is suddenly in love with. Interestingly, near the end of the song, which is really rather short when compared to West Side Story’s other numbers, the speaker compares the sound of her name to two contrasting but all the same wonderful things. Saying “Maria” loudly is like “music playing”, as it has been throughout the ballad. On the other hand, saying it quietly is “almost like praying”, which exemplifies just to what extent Tony reveres and admires Maria. Her being is transposed into her name, and thus the word “Maria” brings complete fascination to the speaker. As the number comes to a close, it ends in a cyclical manner, in pretty much the same way in which it began. The first two lines are simply reversed and repeated as the last two lines of the song. This gives a feeling of completion and closure to the song, and also can be taken to represent the perpetual nature of Tony’s love, as circles are often symbolic of eternity.
The song “Somewhere” is a tribute to the endless optimism and hopefulness present in the youth of the world, and specifically in Tony and Maria. This duet between the lovers connects them in their wide-eyed and somewhat naïve hope that they can escape their differences and be together some day. This place that they describe is their own little world, an idealistic hideaway from the world which has been so cruel to them both and has denied the legitimacy of their love for each other. At this point in the production, though they are determined to spend their lives together, they are unsure of exactly how this can happen. This uncertainty is shown by the repetition of the words “somewhere” and “somehow”, which are nonspecific but hold the pure hope that they share. Their situation is unstable and not at all secure, and yet they refuse to let go of their belief that they will one day make it. The questioning nature of the song is further emphasized in the music itself, which includes cadences that have a feeling of being incomplete, as if they are waiting for an answer, a conclusion, just as Tony and Maria are. Those who know West Side Story well would probably see ”Somewhere” as a very depressing duet, considering the production has the farthest thing from a happy ending. Despite its tragic finish, however, this song does not give off any sense of foreboding or foreshadowing of catastrophe, which only adds to the sense of youthful optimism prevalent in the number. Audience members who are unfamiliar with the musical could easily be lured into a sense that Tony and Maria will make it, because the hopeful emotions in their duet are rather contagious. It is difficult to successfully impose such positivity into a musical with such a notably heartbreaking conclusion, and yet Sondheim was able to do just that.
Stephen Sondheim
March 19, 2012: Sweeney Todd
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Prologue)
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.
His skin was pale and his eye was odd.
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
who never thereafter were heard of again.
He trod a path that few have trod
Did Sweeney Todd?
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
He kept a shop in London town.
Of fancy clients and good renown
and what if none of their souls were saved
they went to their maker impeccably shaved.
By Sweeney,
by Sweeney Todd
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Swing your razor wide!
Sweeney, hold it to the skies.
Freely flows the blood of those who moralize.
His needs were few, his room was bare.
A lavabo and a fancy chair.
A mug of suds, and a leather strop,
an apron, a towel, a pail, and a mop.
For neatness he deserved a nod,
Did Sweeney Todd?,
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Inconspicuous Sweeney was,
quick, and quiet and clean he was.
Back of his smile, under his word,
Sweeney heard music that nobody heard.
Sweeney pondered and Sweeney planned,
like a perfect machine he planned,
Sweeney was smooth, Sweeney was subtle,
Sweeney would blink, and rats would scuttle
Sweeney was smooth, Sweeney was subtle
Sweeney would blink, and rats would scuttle
Sweeney was smooth, Sweeney was subtle,
Sweeney would blink, and rats would scuttle
Sweeney was smooth, Sweeney was subtle,
Sweeney would blink, and rats would scuttle
Sweeney! Sweeney! Sweeney! Sweeney!
Sweeney!
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd!
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd!
He served a dark and a vengeful God!
He served a dark and a vengeful God!
What happened then, well that's the play,
and he wouldn't want us to give it away
Not Sweeney
Not Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet
Street
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8yJoOxrzkg
“The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” is sung by the company at the beginning of the musical “Sweeney Todd”. As the opening piece, this song has the responsibility to set the tone for the entirety of the performance, which is dark, sarcastic, and humorous. The production is about a barber named Sweeney Todd who seeks to avenge his wife, whom he believes to be dead, by killing the man who doomed her. Naturally, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” is thus extremely foreboding. The Marist theater performed “Sweeney Todd” in January of 2009, and by far the most memorable song for me was this, the opener. The entire cast came out and stared, zombielike, at the audience, as they sang of the dark tale ahead. The overall feeling was exceedingly creepy, especially as the song neared the end. The section in the middle, in which the cast repeats “Sweeney was smooth, Sweeney was subtle, Sweeney would blink and rats would scuttle,” build up enormous tension which is magnified by the crescendo into the repeated wails of “Sweeney.” At this point, the company has made it exceptionally clear that Sweeney Todd is one to be feared. After this chilling climax, the leading man himself steps forward to deliver some of the final lines before the completion of the song. He sings of himself in third person, which only adds to the unsettling tone prevalent throughout the piece. The song then ends eerily, the cast coming in again in full, singing almost at a whisper for the final phrase, which includes an uncomfortable pause before the last word. At its completion, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” has accomplished its role of bringing the audience into the world of the play: in this case, a dark, ominous world of revenge, murder, and a tale of lost love.
Green Finch and Linnet Bird
Green finch, and linnet bird,
Nightingale, blackbird,
How is it you sing?
How can you jubilate
sitting in cages
never taking wing?
Outside the sky waits
beckoning!
Beckoning!
Just beyond the bars
How can you remain
staring at the rain
maddened by the stars?
How is it you sing
anything?
How is it you sing?
Green finch. and linnet bird,
nightingale, blackbird
How is it you sing?
Whence comes this melody
constantly floating?
Is it rejoicing or merely aloaming?
Are you discussing?
Or fussing?
Or simply dreaming?
Are you crowing?
Are you screaming?
Ringdove and robinet
is it for wages?
Singing to be sold?
Have you decided it's safer in cages
singing when you're told?
My cage has many rooms
damask and dark
Nothing there sings,
not even my lark.
Larks never will, you know,
when they're captive.
Teach me to be more
adaptive.
Ah
Green Finch, and Linnet Bird,
nightingale, blackbird,
teach me how to sing.
If I cannot fly
Let me sing
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_bA9J-J_mo
“Green Finch and Linnet Bird” is sung by Johanna, a woman trapped in a tower by her master. In contrast to “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”, this song is one of hope and of wide-eyed curiosity. The scene involves Johanna looking out her tower window at a cage of birds who, despite their being trapped, continue to sing. She feels a connection with the birds, as she too is trapped against her will. She expresses her perceived kinship by singing back to the birds, asking them why they choose to sing. She, too, wants to learn to “sing” in her confinement, and looks to the birds as mentors or teachers. Interestingly, the sound of “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” is rather similar to the tweeting of a songbird. This is further exemplified by the song’s highest note, a D6, which is in the third space above the staff of the Treble Clef. Not only is this note exceptionally difficult to hit even for a first soprano, but it connects the song with the high-pitched whistling of the birds.
Overall, “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” is a song of innocence and purity, both of which are qualities that Johanna possesses. Its contrast with the dark tone of the play mirrors her contrast to the characters around her. She seems to be the only one in the production who has maintained her youthful wholesomeness. In addition, her song is one of longing. She desperately wishes to escape her tower, as she has not been allowed to leave, due to her master’s extreme possessiveness. She envies the birds’ ability to fly, and is puzzled by their willingness to remain seemingly cheery when that ability is taken from them. She wants to learn to sing, not literally, but to appreciate life despite her confinement. The song’s brighter, more positive qualities really make it stand out in the otherwise ominous play.
March 30, 2012: West Side Story
Maria
(spoken)
Maria . . .
(sings)
The most beautiful sound I ever heard:
Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria . . .
All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word . .
Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria . . .
Maria!
I've just met a girl named Maria,
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same
To me.
Maria!
I've just kissed a girl named Maria,
And suddenly I've found
How wonderful a sound
Can be!
Maria!
Say it loud and there's music playing,
Say it soft and it's almost like praying.
Maria,
I'll never stop saying Maria!
The most beautiful sound I ever heard.
Maria.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpdB6CN7jww
“Maria” is arguably one of the most well-known songs from the musical West Side Story. The context: Tony and Maria have just met, and it appears that they have immediately fallen in love, despite their opposing backgrounds. This ballad is sung by Tony, who seems to be so enamored with this girl he has just met that even her name is beautiful to him. It begins with the word “Maria” being spoken, before the actor transitions into his song. Repetition of that name is used quite obviously throughout the lyrics, as to emphasize the subject of Tony’s infatuation. It appears to the audience that he simply cannot say (or rather, sing) her name too many times, because it is “the most beautiful sound [he has] ever heard.” The song starts off soft, but its volume increases rapidly as Tony is caught up in the utter magnificence of this girl he is suddenly in love with.
Interestingly, near the end of the song, which is really rather short when compared to West Side Story’s other numbers, the speaker compares the sound of her name to two contrasting but all the same wonderful things. Saying “Maria” loudly is like “music playing”, as it has been throughout the ballad. On the other hand, saying it quietly is “almost like praying”, which exemplifies just to what extent Tony reveres and admires Maria. Her being is transposed into her name, and thus the word “Maria” brings complete fascination to the speaker. As the number comes to a close, it ends in a cyclical manner, in pretty much the same way in which it began. The first two lines are simply reversed and repeated as the last two lines of the song. This gives a feeling of completion and closure to the song, and also can be taken to represent the perpetual nature of Tony’s love, as circles are often symbolic of eternity.
Somewhere
There's a place for us,
Somewhere a place for us.
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us
Somewhere.
There's a time for us,
Some day a time for us,
Time together with time spare,
Time to learn, time to care,
Some day!
Somewhere.
We'll find a new way of living,
We'll find a way of forgiving
Somewhere . . .
There's a place for us,
A time and place for us.
Hold my hand and we're halfway there.
Hold my hand and I'll take you there
Somehow,
Some day,
Somewhere!
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BQMgCy-n6U
The song “Somewhere” is a tribute to the endless optimism and hopefulness present in the youth of the world, and specifically in Tony and Maria. This duet between the lovers connects them in their wide-eyed and somewhat naïve hope that they can escape their differences and be together some day. This place that they describe is their own little world, an idealistic hideaway from the world which has been so cruel to them both and has denied the legitimacy of their love for each other. At this point in the production, though they are determined to spend their lives together, they are unsure of exactly how this can happen. This uncertainty is shown by the repetition of the words “somewhere” and “somehow”, which are nonspecific but hold the pure hope that they share. Their situation is unstable and not at all secure, and yet they refuse to let go of their belief that they will one day make it.
The questioning nature of the song is further emphasized in the music itself, which includes cadences that have a feeling of being incomplete, as if they are waiting for an answer, a conclusion, just as Tony and Maria are. Those who know West Side Story well would probably see ”Somewhere” as a very depressing duet, considering the production has the farthest thing from a happy ending. Despite its tragic finish, however, this song does not give off any sense of foreboding or foreshadowing of catastrophe, which only adds to the sense of youthful optimism prevalent in the number. Audience members who are unfamiliar with the musical could easily be lured into a sense that Tony and Maria will make it, because the hopeful emotions in their duet are rather contagious. It is difficult to successfully impose such positivity into a musical with such a notably heartbreaking conclusion, and yet Sondheim was able to do just that.